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Saudi Golf CEO says reported mega offer to Tiger Woods is incorrect
Of all the stories that have come out this year about how much money LIV Golf has thrown at the game's best athletes, one of the biggest has been that Tiger Woods turned down upwards of $800 million to stay on the PGA Tour.
Then, in an interview with The New Yorker that was published this week, Saudi Golf Federation CEO Majed Al Sorour said Woods was never offered such an exorbitant sum.
And it's fair to wonder which side of the story is actually true.
Tiger Woods rejected an offer of $700-$800 million to join the Saudi-funded LIV Golf series
— UberFacts (@UberFacts) August 2, 2022
In a New Yorker article published this week, the Saudi Golf Federation CEO shed more light on the offer LIV Golf extended to Tiger Woods: https://t.co/YAVrWBkrx1 pic.twitter.com/3vlLP11RcW
— GOLF.com (@GOLF_com) October 19, 2022
"It’s not straight-out money. I never offered him that money, not even close to that," Sorour said, adding that equity in the league and a cut of sponsorship money were included.
Of course, it's anyone's guess what the real amount was that was offered to Woods. LIV Golf CEO Greg Norman himself was the one who said the breakaway league had offered Woods $800 million before running the story back a couple of months later.
It's also fair to wonder if Sorour and Norman don't want to admit to how much money they initially offered the 15-time Major winner because of how firmly -- and publicly -- Woods has taken a stance against LIV Golf. Woods has been at the forefront of the PGA's push to combat the rival league, going so far as to hold a closed-door strategy session with some of the PGA's biggest stars.
We may never know the real monetary figure Woods was offered to defect from the PGA Tour and join Greg Norman's Saudi Arabia-funded league. Whatever the amount was, however, Woods clearly wasn't impressed with it.
More must-reads:
- Tiger's most famous Masters moments
- Bryson DeChambeau divulges Scottie Scheffler's biggest advantage
- The 'Winners of the 2005 sports season' quiz
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